Improvement in fruit-hullers



A. s. BUNKER. Fruit-Huller.

No. 205,048. Pat ented .Iune'IS, 187 8,

N. FETERS.'PHOTO UTHDGRAPNER, WAQHINGTON. O, C

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS S. BUNKER, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FRUlT-HULLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,048, dated June 18, 1878; application filed April 12,1877.

v hulls and stems from small fruit, such as strawberries, without the danger of bruising the berry with the fingers, or otherwise injuring the same.

The invention, therefore, consists in a device of the above character having spring-handles, which also form the body, said .handles terminating in bowls or plates formed concave upon their inner or meeting faces.

The invention further consists in forming the bowls or concave plates with cuttingedges, as will be hereinafter more fully de-- scribed.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the handles, of metal or other-suitable material, preferably in a single piece, and bent around to form a spring, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The handles at their free ends terminate in bowls B-or, in other words, have their inner faces concave, so that when the bowls are brought in contact with the root of the hull or stem of the berry, the hull or stem vwill be received in the space formed by the concavities of the bowls when brought together, and afterward deposited in any receptacle suitable to receive them.

The bowls B may be of circular or other form found most convenient, as I do not desire to limit myself to the particular configuration shown, so long as they are convex upon their inner faces. The exterior of the bowls B may, however, be convex, if desired, so they will be better adapted in removing the hulls of berries having ridges around the root of the hull, the outer periphery or edge of the bowls fitting between the ridges.

The bowls B are formed with cutting-edges O for separating the hull from the berry, a portion of the cutting-edge of one of the bowls, when the two are brought together, closing over the cutting-edge of the other.

Although I have shown and described the device as being constructed from a single piece of metal, it is evident that the handles A may be separate, and connected by a hinge or other suitable means with a spring placed between the handles to insure the operation of the device without departing from the gist of my invention.

It is desirable, however, that the device.

should be constructed of a single piece of sheet metal, and stamped out by suitable dies, as this form or manner of producing the article renders the cost comparatively small, and brings them in the reach of all.

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device for hulling berries, consisting of the handles A, terminating at their free ends in bowls B, or plates having their inner faces concave, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A device for hulling berries, consisting of the handles A, terminating at their free ends in bowls B, formed with cutting-edges O, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A device for hulling berries, consisting of the handles A and cups B, concave upon their inner faces and convex upon their outer faces, and formed with cutting-edges 0, substantially as and for the purpose described.

AUGUSTUS S. BUNKER. [L. s]

Witnesses:

JAMES RoPER, B. F. MITCHELL. 

